Alastor Dwane

Information

Player: Rowgen

Character Full Name: Alastor Dwane

Character In-Game Name: Alastor

Nickname(s): Al

Association(s): The Alliance, Kingdom of Stormwind, the People's Milita (formerly), the Westfall Brigade (formerly).

Race: Human

Class: Warrior, Ex-Soldier (ICly).

Age: 58

Sex: Male

Hair: Graying Black

Eyes: Gray

Weight: 257 pounds

Height: 6'3"

Alignment: Neutral Good

Appearance

In combat, Alastor usually wears protective plate armor. Out of combat, he often wears a sleeveless shirt, a vest, a pair of leather trousers and a pair of thick boots.

Alastor's appearance can easily catch one off-guard if one haven't seen him on an earlier occasion or weren't warned. His whole body looks like a ravaged battlefield. A few foot-long and several inch-long scars covers his body. A part of the tip of his nose is missing and the bridge looks as if it's been broken several times over. A long scar runs along his spine, beginning at the waist and following his back up to the neck, where it trails off toward the left shoulder.

Personality

An experienced and hardened soldier, Alastor used to be a young, cheerful and enthusiastic recruit in the Lordaeron army. A long life littered with loss and tragedy has erased any trace of the man he once was. Originally friendly, polite and outgoing, Alastor has become sullen, bitter and short-tempered, usually keeping to himself. His treatment of others is, in short, mean. In combat he'd rather pursue an enemy than let them go. If an enemy surrenders, he's likely not to kill them, depending on his mood. If they don't, they're good as dead to him. He usually avoids contact with others, and would be furious if someone insisted on trying to talk to him when he clearly told them to leave him alone. He rarely trusts anyone, especially not Horde races or Night Elves and Draenei. He's a little bit friendlier to someone he trusts, but earning said trust in the first place is quite an achievement. Although he has a gruff, harsh and unfriendly demeanor, he still possess an unwavering loyalty and a relentless resolve.

History

Hailing from the great city of Stormwind, Alastor was the son of a wealthy merchant from the upper middle-class, named Angrewin Dwane. Coming from a family with a military tradition, Alastor's father sent him to a Dwarven combat instructor to train him. The Dwarf, named Arctus Wildmane, was an old veteran of the War of the Three Hammers, and trained most of Alastor's friends, as well. Under the Dwarf's guidance, Alastor and his friends soon became relatively skilled swordsmen.

A few months before the First War he enlisted into the army, like his father and his father's father before him, and the list could go on. He joined the army full of hope and dreams, having a somewhat naive perception of what military service would be like. It soon became clear that it was nothing like he had expected, when he found that military was, as a matter of fact, quite different from a glorious adventure every day. Despite this, he remained one of the most cheerful and optimistic soldiers. Serving dutifully as a member of the Stormwind Army along with most of his friends, Alastor eventually found the thrill he dreamed about in the First War.

In the first few months of the War, Alastor maintained a naive belief that they would defeat the Horde without any major loss. Well, safe to say, he was wrong. As the war progressed, his optimistism faded gradually, finally accepting defeat when he heard that Stormwind City had fallen while he was fighting on the frontlines. His entire family had been killed in the Orcish attack, as well. In shock, he behaved mechanically for weeks after, quietly doing as he was told without question. At the end of the war, he followed Anduin Lothar and the other Stormwind refugees to Lordaeron.

In Lordaeron he found work as a farmhand on a large farm near Andorhal. On the farm he befriended several of his fellow farmhands. He took particular note to a particular one, though; A young woman, about his age, named Sarah Thepp. He got to know her through occasional, quick chats. Having been born in the slums, Sarah had worked since she was a child and had rarely had enough money for anything more than two or three meals a day before she got a job at the farm.

In the short time between the First and Second Wars, Alastor and Sarah would develop a close relationship. Small favors and occasionally helping each other on the fields of the farm gradually grew into a mutual affection. He promised her he'd create a better future for them when he had found a better living. That future never came, though. One night, the farm was attacked by marauding bandits. Alastor and the other workers fought with whatever they had at hand, this including axes, pitchforks and shovels. While the workers outnumbered the bandits three to one, the bandits had far better armament. Despite this, they managed to chase away the bandits.

The victory came at a heavy cost. Many of their numbers fell to the bandits, among them Sarah. Furious and filled with a lust for vengeance, Alastor tried to convince the other farmers to pursue the bandits. His call to arms was ignored by the majority, but he was able to get about a third of the men with him. Following the bandit group's trail for almost a week, before they finally managed to catch up with them. They succeeded in catching the bandits by surprise, flanking them and ensuring that no escape route was available. The fight was bloody, and many on both sides fell.

In the heat of battle, Alastor faced the bandit leader, a cruel man who had earned a reputation among the locals for harassing farmers in the area. In a the brutal duel that ensued, Alastor gained several of the scars disfiguring his body. As the bandit leader managed to slam him into the ground, he attempted to slice at him. Alastor managed to evade the full blow, but it left a long scar along his back. he fight ended when Alastor managed to kill the leader and cut off his head. Demoralized by the loss of their leader, the bandits soon surrendered. Using whatever rope they could find, they bound the bandits and brought them to Andorhal, delivering them to the guards. Claiming the bounty for the bandit leader, he earned enough money to quit his work at the farm.

He used the money from the bounty to buy a small house in Andorhal, where he remained until the beginning of the Second War, when he returned to the army. While they were hesitant to accept him, they knew they needed every able man they could find, and he was certainly able. When he returned to the army, many rumors were circulating around him. He was no longer "that rich merchant's son", now he was "that lunatic who killed all those bandits." Whether it was an improvement or not, he wasn't quite sure.

As the war progressed, Alastor was among the men who followed Anduin Lothar to the Wetlands to fight back the invading Dragonmaw Orcs. Aided by the Dwarves of Khaz Modan in defending the lands against the Orcs, the Alliance forces attempted to destroy the Dragonmaw encampments throughout Dun Algaz, hoping to push the Orcs further back into Khaz Modan. While the attack failed, Alastor got away from it with some minor injuries. Alastor and the remaining Alliance forces retreated, beaten but alive, while Dun Algaz remained in the Horde's control. Despite their defeat in Dun Algaz, the Orcs seemed to retreat from Alliance lands. Alastor found this sudden turn of events strange, if not unnerving. It made no sense to him to retreat after a victory. As the Alliance forces pressed on toward the Orcish fortress, the Blackrock Spire, Alastor's sense of foreboding grew stronger.

His fears were confirmed when Lothar made the fatal mistake: Splitting from the main force. While a majority of the Alliance forces, Alastor included, remained behind he lead a force of soldiers personally against the Blackrock Spire, and was ambushed by the Orcish forces. Seperated from his forces, Lothar was killed in the legendary duel against Orgrim Doomhammer. With his sword broken and skull smashed, Lothar fell to the Orcish Warchief. When Turalyon rallied the Alliance soldiers and picked up the sword, Alastor and the rest of the army joined the fight, which ended in the defeat of the Orcs. In the middle of all the celebrations, the sense of triumph was punctured when Alastor heard Lothar had fallen.

In the years following the Second War, Alastor volunteered to guard the internment camps of Hillsbrad. Stationed in Hammerfall, he had a great distaste for the work, but felt that the Orcs needed to be contained. While he served dutifully while Danath Trollbane was in charge, his loyalty wavered when Aedelas Blackmoore was put in charge after Danath disappeared. Resentful to the prospect of serving the son of a traitor, who in his mind most likely was a traitor himself, he became increasingly mutinous. His patience finally snapped when the remaining Orcs lead by Thrall attaked the internment camps. He deserted in the heat of battle, deciding that dying for a sadistic traitor's cause was beneath him.

Returning to Andorhal, Alastor spent his last years in Lordaeron alone. He decided that living in the middle of Andorhal reminded him too much of what he had lost, and sold the house. Using the money he got for it to buy a small cottage outside of Strahnbrad, to the south of Andorhal. There he remained until shortly before Third War, when Blackrock Orcs managed to escape the internment camps. When Arthas and Uther were sent to fight back the Orcs on the desperate request of the citizens of Strahnbrad, Alastor and several other men in the village volunteered to fight the Orcs. Although tired and older than he was, Alastor once more rose his sword and shield to defend the Alliance.

The battle against the Blackrock Orcs was won, and their Blademaster laid slain. Despite this victory, troubling news from the north reached them. Apparently the plague was spreading throughout the regions east of Lordamere Lake. Alastor realized that would include his old home, Andorhal. When they reached Andorhal, Alastor found the city in ruins and the Scourge roaming through it's streets. In a mixture of horror and surprise, Alastor was outraged to find his home in the hands of the Undead. Arthas lead the Alliance forces into the city and slaughtered the Undead, finally cornering the crazed Necromancer Kel'Thuzad. Relief rushed over Alastor, thinking that with the Necromancer's death, the threat would be over. However, the relief was short-lived, as Kel'Thuzad claimed he was nothing but a mere servant.

Continuing their campaign against the Undead, fighting through Hearthglen, Alastor felt the familiar foreboding feeling he had felt before Lothar's death. His instincts were once again correct: When they reached Stratholme, Arthas ordered them to slay all the infected citizens. If the Scourge had horrified him, this was nothing compared to the Prince's orders. When Uther and Jaina opposed Arthas, Alastor was relieved that at least someone was in their right mind. Abandoning the crazed Prince and following Jaina to Kalimdor, Alastor remained in her service throughout the Third War.

Upon reaching Kalimdor, the Alliance ran into unexpected obstacles; Centaurs, Quilboars, Harpies and even Orcs that had fled to Kalimdor, as well. Furious that the Orcs had dared following them, Alastor had no other wish than to fight the Orcs. Jaina decided to set up an encampment in the easily-defendable Stonetalon Peak. However, the Alliance defenders were defeated, and Jaina rallied the remaining forces with her and entered the mountain, Jaina having sensed great power within and hoping to use it against the Orcs. The remaining Alliance forces and Alastor were startled to find that the Orcs had entered, as well.

In an unexpected turn of events, Jaina and the Alliance forces joined forces with the Orcish Warchief, Thrall on the request of the Prophet. Alastor relunctantly obeyed, although he didn't trust the Orcs. During the Alliance and the Horde's fight against the Warsong Orcs, Alastor finally realized why they needed to join forces. If mere servants of the Legion could be so strong, what could their leaders be like? With the sacrifice and death of Hellscream, the Alliance and Horde forces ventured into Ashenvale. Alastor was easily unnerved by the great, dark forests. He was, like most of the other Alliance soldiers, tired of the constant threats of this new land. As if the threat of the Night Elves weren't enough, the Scourge had a firm presence in the ancient woods, as well.

At the top of it all, Alastor couldn't get himself to cooperate with the Orcs, and only quit when he was given a direct order to knock it off. He obeyed once more, but only because he knew that the threat of the Legion was too great. To Alastor's relief, the pressure on their forces eased slightly after a meeting between Thrall, Jaina and the Night Elven leaders. Joining forces against the Legion and the Scourge, they set up a defence at the foot of Mount Hyjal. Despite his fear of the Demons and Undead, Alastor nonetheless held the line as long as he could. When the Alliance forces finally were defeated, he was among the wounded who retreated into safety with Jaina.

After having settled down on Theramore, Alastor finally had the time to relax, calm down and search his emotions. He finally concluded that he suffered from homesickness. He wanted to return to his old home of Stormwind. Remaining on Theramore for a few years, he finally decided to catch a boat to Menethil Harbor. Continuing from there to Stormwind, he finally returned to his childhood home. Upon returning to Stormwind, he recieved around twenty years worth of news. King Varian had disappeared and the Defias were still at large. Furious that the House of Nobles hadn't done anything to help the farmers of Westfall, who had been harassed by the Defias ever since the end of the Second War, he immediately decided to volunteer into the People's Milita, fighting the Defias under the command of Gryan Stoutmantle. Trying desperately to defend the farmers, the situation seemed hopeless, and Alastor's morale was low.

However, after years of struggle, the Defias Brotherhood in the region seemed defeated. With Edwin VanCleef dead, the People's Milita was able to direct it's attention elsewhere. More specifically, Northerend and the Lich King. Recruited into the Valiance Expedition and renamed the Westfall Brigade, Alastor and the other men of the milita were sent to Northerend, ordered to secure secondary resource points and finding routes further north from the Grizzly Hills. Alastor took the task with great enthusiasm, praising himself lucky he'd been stationed in one of the warmer regions of Northerend. He remained in the Westfall Brigade Encampment all throughout the Alliance's campaign in Northerend, mostly protecting it from attacking wildlife and Scourge.

Finally, after over thirty years of combat, warfare and battle, Alastor retired from his military career after the death of the Lich King. He returned to Stormwind in triumph and vowed to never return to the military. However, those who know of his story sincerely doubt he'll be able to keep that vow. Despite his insistance that he is growing tired of war and that he doesn't care about others, he remains fiercly loyal to his people, as evident by his participation in the First, Second and Third Wars, his defence of Westfall and his courage in venturing into the unknown dangers of Northrend.